


In Media Res

by Wierdkid20



Series: Vulgaris Adamas [8]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: A love story between a human and a rock, Bonding with your adolescent tyrant, Fetch with sentient gourds, Gen, Human among gems, Tags will be added as we go, The Bad Ending, inbetween
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 01:03:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14863713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wierdkid20/pseuds/Wierdkid20
Summary: Because sometimes we don't see everything thats going on, Oneshots and side stories from the series Vulgaris Adamas





	1. Fetch

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone, so here's some fics that take place in between chapters of Seditionis Adamas specifically. I can't promise any kind of regular update schedule for it but I will definitely take requests for it here and in the main fic. Enjoy!

Yellow Pearl couldn’t accept being idle. It wasn’t quite written into her programming but all through her life the most stressful had been when she could do nothing. So she checked in on the ship. She had gone to the barn alone initially but now she was being followed.

 

Pumpkin had been a constant presence throughout the ship building, though even with explanation Yellow wasn’t entirely sure how her existence was even possible. Usually Pumpkin stuck close to the Crystal Gems or Blue who had been much more initially accepting of her general organic weirdness. Apparently when no one else was around though, that point was completely moot. 

 

Pumpkin wouldn’t leave her alone, not that she was being obstructive by any meaning of the word, actually the quadrupedal gourd was being quite helpful, collecting various tools that had been left out and bringing them to her. Yellow Pearl would put them away and Pumpkin would whine for a few moments before leaving and returning with another piece of equipment. Eventually Yellow Pearl exited the ship and headed for the warp pad only to be stopped once again by Pumpkin this time holding a protrusion from one of the organic plants on the planet.

 

“While I appreciate your help earlier, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that.” Yellow Pearl said, feeling a little bit ridiculous talking to a non sapient creature. Pumpkin dropped it at her feet and barked at her. While she wasn’t as fervent about her hatred of organics as her Diamond, Yellow Pearl did understand her disdain. How was she supposed understand that?

 

“She wants you to throw it for her.” Lapis Lazuli said. Yellow Pearl squawked, not having heard the other gem land behind her.

 

“What?!” She said, too startled to even bother to try to remember the proper term of address for a Lazuli. Lapis picked up the stick and handed it to her. 

 

“Just throw it, like over there or something.” Lapis said gesturing towards the barn. Yellow pearl looked at the stick in her hand, then at an eager looking pumpkin and then at lapis who looked at her expectantly. Yellow Pearl threw said stick gently so that it landed a few feet away. Pumpkin barked excitedly and ran after it. She picked up the stick and ran back over to Yellow Pearl and dropped it at her feet again.  Yellow Pearl glanced at Lapis again who was smiling fondly at Pumpkin.

 

“She just wants to play, it got quiet again all of the sudden out here.” She said. 

 

“And this is..enjoyable for her?” Yellow Pearl asked, lapis’ had a reputation for being flightly and incredibly stuck up. This one, a Lapis Lazuli and Blue Diamonds chief terraformer nonetheless, seemed to be neither of those things.

 

“I guess, Steven taught her how and now she bugs me and Peridot to play with her all the time.” Lapis said with a shrug “If you want to stop just tell her no, she’ll get the hint, she’s very smart.”

 

Yellow Pearl almost asked what possible intelligence an animated piece of organic plant life could have. But, due to the fact that the planet was 75% water, and Lapis seemed to be attached to said organic plant life, she refrained. Yellow threw the stick again.

 

“You really enjoy this?”

 

“Enjoy what?” Lapis asked leaning up against a nearby tree, watching Pumpkin.

 

“Being... here, you’re not doing anything.” Yellow said.

  
“Nope, and it’s great,” Lapis said folding her arms. “Court was exhausting, and now...” Yellow Pearl didn't need her to finish the sentence. Homeworld had advanced a lot in the millenia following the rebellion on earth and it wasn't just those who had been separated from it that were overwhelmed by those differences. Yellow threw the retrieved stick again, it was something to do.


	2. Light Kites

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told myself I wasn't going to post this until I got the next chapter of Prelude and the request for steven talking with the other rose quartzes. but....I have poor impulse control and honestly this is pretty much just a repost from the tumblr. It takes place shortly after the scene in Rosea Margarita in which Pink and Yellow Pearl go searching for Domina after she runs away on homeworld. I mostly wanted to write it to show that Domina and Yellow Diamond get along, something we know they do now. any way, I still think it's a fun little fic. as a reminder the blog is open for in character asks for the week of July 9th.
> 
> enjoy! see you next time!

Yellow and White Diamond didn’t see eye to eye on many matters and even after the incident at the nursery when differences in their ideologies finally came to a head, Domina still often spoke out against the older diamonds views on lower gems. 

This was infuriating on Yellow Diamonds part, anything she said, could turn into a debate that always ended with one of them stomping off in frustration. A question was all it could take to spark an argument and of course Domina was full of them.

“What’s a light kite?” Domina asked, she had been tasked with looking through the records of the empires previous battles. Immediately the 3 hour explanation lept into Yellow’s mouth, but she stopped herself. 

‘Summarize Yellow’ White had told her many many times ‘I don’t care that much.’

“They’re a short ranged scout ship, you should have been able to pick that up from context.” 

“Well yes obviously but..oh nevermind.” Domina said with a frustrated huff, burying herself back in the terminal. Yellow Diamond hesitated and nearly let the matter drop then and there but she braced herself and decided to continue the conversation.

“What do you want to know?” She asked. Domina looked up at her, glanced back at her terminal and then back at Yellow Diamond who was doing her best to remain patient with the young diamond. Blue had been much better at this. White Had been better at this. The other two often joked that Yellow emerged impatient. Her attempts in mentoring both Pink and Blue had been disastrous to say the least. But now, she was the only one left to teach Domina.  

“Well, how do they handle? How fast can they go?” The girl asked. Yellow brought up the schematics to send to her, then stopped herself. 

“Follow me, I’ll just show you.” Yellow Diamond said standing. Domina quickly rose up to follow her, Pearl got the door and Yellow Diamond led Domina across the building to her personal hanger. 

There were actually a few models of Light Kites there, Yellow approached the newer of them, and gestured for the door to the ship to open. Yellow could see the excitement pouring off of Domina and smirked slightly as she watched the young diamond dash inside. Both pearls waited by the door back into the main building. 

“We’ll be back, stay here.” Yellow Diamond said, she let her gem glow and shrunk to maybe a third of her size.

 

“Yes my diamond!” her Pearl said. Domina’s merely bowed. 

Inside the ship Domina was inspecting the flight control panel with fascination. Yellow smiled slightly and tapped out the command to open the hanger. 

 

“Do you know how to pilot a ship?” Yellow Diamond asked. Domina startled and turned to look at her then froze and stared at her. “What?” Yellow asked with a frown.

“You.. but.. nevermind. We're having a moment.” she leaned to the other end of the flight panel and started up the ship. “I've piloted the drop ship darts before back home” 

 

“Well this the same basic principle, just lighter. Who taught you?” 

 

“The nephrite's.. they rigged up one of the simulators they use to train the rubies when I was 6, I used to play with it all the time” Yellow Diamond didn't respond. Nephrite's rarely flew light kites, but if you were going to learn from anyone they would be the gem to teach you. “Why?” Domina asked defensively.

 

“Just curious,” Yellow lowered herself into the captain's chair. “Go ahead, take it out.” She pulled up the auxiliary control panel just in case. Domina’s face went serious, an expression that reminded Yellow so much of White. Domina read off pre flight checks with the business like manner of a Peridot giving a report. Yellow felt the shift as the thrusters revved and then idled towards the hangar door.  They cleared homeworlds atmosphere a few moments later. Once they were in open space Domina turned back and gave Yellow a wide mischievous grin that reminded her of the other end of the authority’s previous symbol.

Yellow raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to ask a question. 

 

Right before Domina jumped to hyperspeed.


	3. Log: 203072 Subject: Human Vitus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clearing out stuff I've already written from the doc, hopefully this will encourage me to write more of them or atleast to finish the 4 side stories I have on deck. This was originally going to be part of a bigger work but I ran out of steam on it. still pretty complete though. Some of it you have read before though!  
> Hope you enjoy!

I need to understand why Pink was so interested in these simple creatures. Perhaps this is more of an effort to pull myself out of the fog that has clouded Yellow and Blue after Pinks Death. I will make arrangements to visit the zoo in the next few months.

 

Pink’s Pearl is.. less than ideal but she performs her tasks adequately enough that I can’t be bothered to complain. Moss Agate has reported that the base work on one of Yellow’s colony planets is complete so the fleet will be moving on to the next planet 19-H25.

19-H25 will be an outer planet of mine where thankfully we will finally be able to produce some beryls, the war has severely depleted our stores of not only quartzes and rubies but also Beryls, Corundums and Silicates. The other fleet sections have been focused on corundum production and silicates as always are simply made when every item in the universe rotates in perfect harmony.

 

At this point I would take any scrap of harmony the universe was willing to offer.

* * *

  


The trip to the zoo had some unintended consequences. I perhaps should I have waited longer, but if the Agate incharge of the station noticed any idiosyncrasies in my behavior, she wisely did not mention it. Pink’s pearl for her part only seemed mildly distressed by the trip. I didn’t visit Pink’s room, didn’t really see the point. I did however speak to two of the kunzites that were in charge of the humans directly, the work at the zoo has been split since the gems originally manufactured for the purpose have been removed. At my request the Kunzites removed one of the creatures so that I could get a better look at them. This one, a male of the species was not particularly happy to be removed, I couldn’t understand his barks but the things he was attempting to say definitely didn’t sound complementary. I crouched to his level and had the kunzites remove his restraints. The human rushed me not unlike an angry quartz and was quickly pulled back. Most unusual of all, instead of cowering when punished by his handlers he simply sneered at them and turned his attack on them. He was easily by a blow to the head. I won’t pretend I don’t know who landed said blow, but I do feel that perhaps it would be in the empires best interests if we stopped pretending that Pearls are completely harmless, especially considering recent events.

 

It was at that point that I almost left the station, but I would have been lying if my curiosity was sated. So I instructed the kunzites that I would be taking the human with me for the time being and to give all necessary information to Pink’s Pearl.

She will be in charge of his well being, and while even now I cannot be sure that this idea will work, at the very least his presence on board the ship should be some sort of distraction.

  


* * *

  


I’m starting to wonder if the human is more trouble than it’s worth to satisfy some amount of curiosity brought on by grief

 

One of the storage rooms in my quarters had to be redone to accommodate being able to deal with organic life, he's somehow very argumentative with a majority of the crew that is aboard the dropship as we move out of the current planet. Which does not bode well when the full crew is on board within a few weeks.

 

I have not attempted to speak with him or really interact with him. I have been occupied with dealing with relocation efforts on homeworld. Not that it matters, from what Pink's pearl reports she hasn't had much success establishing two way communication.

 

Reports from other sections of the fleet are less than ideal. Positive results from this round of implantation were low. And the ground simply didn’t have enough material left in it to accept a second one after the fact. I need to put Yellow on this project, perhaps a change in the injector formula is necessary, or perhaps we need to reevaluate our criteria. Again.

* * *

  


I was right about issues when the full crew was onboard. Moss Agate has lodged several complaints that he has reportedly stolen from the meager cloth stores along with multiple accounts of him being.. I suppose there isn’t really any protocol in place for where a human should or should not go but he definitely should stay off the main bridge.

Perhaps it would be for the best if I returned him to the zoo or perhaps just throw him out the nearest airlock, may be less messy-

 

I redact my previous statement I was just informed that a group of the new quartzes thought it would be a good idea to attempt to pull a Diamonds pearls from her duties, quite literally. The Amethysts have been dealt with and the human, while visibly injured seems to be functioning fine. One of my guard, Milky Quartz 9ZQ was present and mentioned that the human came to Pink’s Pearl’s defense, rather viciously. So I feel that for now he should stay.

Pink’s Pearl has reported that since the incident there have been some limited success in establishing communication with the human. He is to be confined for now until the injuries he sustained have healed.

 

* * *

 

Yellow has set a cut of Peridots on the injector formula’s so hopefully we’ll have some sort of solution in the next decade or so. The latest figures from-

 

The human actually sought me up for the first time since his arrival. He simply walked in with Pink’s pearl trailing behind him, the brace just came off his arm yesterday I don’t believe he was supposed to be exercising it. He walked into the room craned his neck back to look at me and pointed at me and asked something in his native language. Pinks pearl could offer no translation. Frustrated the human dropped his hand and tapped his forehead. “Adamas?” he said “Diamond" I said understanding atleast his gesture. He tapped his forehead again and clumsily pronounced “Diamond” he then gestured to Pink's pearl who at this point was looking as mortified as one might expect. “Margehrita, Pearl” He said, his features portrayed that this was probably just voicing his thoughts aloud than any actual attempts at communication. Pinks Pearl redirected him away from my quarters soon after.

 

If basic communication can be established then perhaps this could be more interesting than I originally thought.

 

Vitus, the specific name for the human I  have “borrowed” from Pinks zoo, seems rather more intelligent than I had initially suspected. He’s curious about the kindergarden process and has made several observations likening it to the human’s agricultural process, some research will need to be done into this “Crop rotation”. He has been allowed, monitored, free range of the ship, something that will continue once we land on 19-H25.

 

Pink’s Pearl mentioned that she found him in the Quartz’s training room yesterday, apparently holding his own against one of the Milky Quartzes. Perhaps on earth he was some sort of soldier? My efforts to talk about his past life have been... less than successful, as he seems more interested in prying into mine. The next few planets on this list will be focusing on gem production for the other two’s court’s, Blue has requested sapphires and quartzes, which of course we don’t have the materials to make at this time. I’m not entirely sure that it was Blue that submitted the request, Yellow has taken on much of her work and while I admire her desire to help, Blue needs to do her job, we’re all processing the events of the war at our own pace, I understand this. But the empire can not be allowed to suffer more than it already has.

 


	4. Pater

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, I've had a vitus one shot planned for a long time and finally I got the inspiration/time/energy to work on it. and here it is! I have a few more in mind but it was glad to finally get this one out there.

These were not the stars Vitus had grown up with. He couldn't pick out Cassiopeia, or Orion or Draco from any of the stars that lay  behind the glass separating him from the blackness beyond. He could see a pink reflection in the glass and grimaced as he turned. Vitus had yet to lose his ever present shadow. And not for lack of trying.

 

The creatures that had originally stolen him from the fields outside his village, had been bigger than he was, and had possessed the strength of ten men. And they had needed it for all that he had fought against them. This one though this creature was as much like them as a bird was like a bear. It... She? She reminded him a lot like his younger sister, nervous and hiding away in the shadow of 5 older brothers. Anyway she had stuck to him, attempting to talk with him but mostly observing. Vitus turned to look at her.

 

“Am I dead?” He asked, not for the first time, it was something he had been wondering for a long time. Since he had found himself in the room with the moving floor, when his bulla had been taken and he had been dressed in this ridiculous outfit.  “I suppose no one put coins on my eyes but I am afraid I don't even know where the Styx is to attempt a crossing.” The figure blinked at him with the same face that his words often elicited.

 

“ _ I'm sorry.” _ She said, her and words holding no meaning to him “ _ do you require nourishment? Or are you simply filling the silence?” _

 

Vitus sighed and gently knocked his head against the glass behind him. It was sturdy, pity. There were footsteps coming closer, marching. Vitus straightened slightly and turned to look towards the sound. There were more people aboard the... thing he was in. A ship maybe? One that didn't sail upon waves but through stars? That made as much sense as anything. But where was it going?

 

“ _ Human, perhaps it would be best if we made our way back to Whi-My Diamonds quarters.” _ The pink creature said. “ _ I don't believe that irritating any quartzes or moss agate would be in your best interest." _ Vitus ignored what he couldn't make sense of and headed towards the sound. The pink one behind him let out a sound that was clearly one of irritation. Vitus smirked even as the giant purple colored creatures rounded the hallway toward him and the pink one. They stopped when they saw him but Vitus didn't. He was done being afraid of them.

 

“ _ What the... Is that a human?” _ One of them said. She had a purple gem set into their face where her nose would be.

 

“What are you?” Vitus asked knowing very well they didn't understand him.

 

“ _ Huh _ ” another one said a similar gem was set into her knee. “ _ Is it trying to speak?” _

 

Vitus approached them glancing at the gem that definitely seemed to be attached. The same as the other creatures that had captured him initially. “What does it mean that you are purple?”

 

“ _Yo pearly!”_ Nose shouted “ _what’s_ _she sayin’?”_  Vitus frowned and turned back to face the pink one,he had heard that phrase or a form of it at least to refer to the pink one. She also had a gem though her's was clearly a pearl, set into her stomach. She was also a servant of some sort. He had been around enough slaves in his time to pick up on the subservient manner that she generally spoke in.

 

“ _ I am not sure yet.”  _ Pink said, she had gone tense, her eyes flickering between Vitus and the purple creatures. She wanted out of the room clearly but was apparently bound to stay with Vitus by her giant... master. That was another interesting thought. What was he doing here?

 

If he wasn’t dead and this was all real why had that Giant Woman taken him, especially after he had tried to attack her. It wasn’t as if they were planning on eating him. He had been observing Pink as much as he had been observed by her and had figured out that whatever kind of creature she was she didn’t need to eat.

 

_ “Well sounds like your doing a bang up job.” _ Knee’s voice was clearly sarcastic. She had leaned down to inspect him, like he might have looked at a lost goat back home. She smiled at him patronizingly. Vitus frowned back unamused.

 

_ “White Diamond doesn’t seem to have a problem with my progress.”  _ From his vantage point he saw Knee’s smile drop.

 

_ “White Diamond took you in cause it would be a waste of resources otherwise. You should have shattered with your Diamond. Our Diamond.”  _ Nose had glanced back to look at him as the tension in the room suddenly grew. Vitus took a step back, already watching for posture changes. He didn’t know what was going on but something told him this wasn’t going to end well.

 

_ “I... cannot control the circumstances under which I came into my diamonds service.” _ Pink’s voice was shaking, like his sisters had when the neighbor boy had picked on her. Vitus shifted his weight carefully, he was out of practice, extremely out of practice. But gods, he had wanted to even the odds on these creatures for a long time. Nose snorted at him.

 

_ “Are you trying to fight me human?” _ Shr asked. She put up her fists, each bigger than his head, like his oldest brother would play with his son.

 

“ _ Please leave him alone, he doesn’t understa-” _

 

_ “Please, 8JK isn’t gonna hurt him.” _ Knee stood up behind him.  _ “But who in stars name do you think you are. You’re a second string pearl, diamond or no you’ve got no business ordering around Amethysts.”  _ The purple giant moved towards Pink threateningly. Vitus’ attack was less, soldier who had successfully graduated from basic training and more, farm boy who had decided that he had had enough of standing around, mouth agape and had to act. He launched himself at Nose, who was closer to Pink and swung wildly at her jaw. The creature flailed backwards but he held on tight to her back as she tried to shake him.

 

_ “Frack! Get it off!” _ Nose shouted reaching at him. Vitus was grabbed roughly from behind and he kicked backwards, catching Knee in the stomach.

 

“Oof!  _ You little- _ ” Knee ripped him off of noses back and Vitus hit the side of the wall with his arm with a crack. His arm went numb. He didn't have time to focus on the pain. Instead he yanked against the creatures hold on his waist and fell to the ground. Vitus rolled to his feet and jumped at the creatures legs, planting the shoulder of his bad arm right into the purple gem set into her knee.

 

Knee crumpled with a shriek. Nose rushed him. Vitus threw up his good arm in some sliver of defense.  And then suddenly he was mid air again. A grey hand had grabbed him by the back of his blue vest.

 

“ _ What in stars name is going on here?”  _ Vitus craned his head back to see the new creature. She looked like the purple ones, vaguely, but her hair was kinkier, and her form a little less round. She had a gem as well, this one set into her arm muscle. She glanced down at Vitus puzzled, then looked back at the purple ones. “ _ You are no longer on the front lines, clods. You will not be scrapping on a fleet vessel like a bunch of rubies.” _ She spoke with the air of a commanding officer. Like a legionnaire.

 

_ “That thing attacked us!” _

 

_ “That 'thing’ is property of our diamond. Along with her pearl.” _ There was that word again. And Pink stiffened slightly when it was said. She looked shaken, and was staring at Vitus with a pale expression. It probably had not been a good thing that he had gotten hurt. He had no idea how he was going to fix it. Thankfully his heart was still racing enough to prevent the pain from creeping it's way into his brain. It still was as bad as spraining your ankle on a March, in full gear. “ _ I'll leave you to explain to moss agate why it's damaged and why her pearl was impeded in her duties.”  _ Vitus frowned and squirmed in an attempt to get out of Grey’s grasp. She held firm though. Instead he slipped his arms out of the vest, Grunting in pain when he hit the ground. Pink squeaked in despair. Hopefully she wasn't going to get in trouble.

 

_ “But-” _

 

_ “No excuses quartz. Go. Now.”  _ Grey snapped. Pink was by his side in an instant, inspecting his arm as both purple beings left.  _ “Is he alright, Pearl?”  _ Grey asked. She knelt down and handed over the ridiculous vest.

 

_ “I...believe so.”  _ Pink said. Something came out of her pearl, a clear tube as pink as she was. “ _ I need to put this over your arm”  _ she was trying to talk to him again. If he couldn't figure out what she was saying before, he definitely couldn't figure it out now. Vitus shook his head to indicate he didn't understand stand what she said. She grabbed at his arm and he hissed in pain, drawing away from him. “ _ Please, I need you to cooperate. The situations already bad enough.” _ Pink pleaded. A pair of giant fingers snapped in front of his face.

 

“ _ Yo, human.”  _ Grey demanded his attention and he gave it, not knowing what else to do. She held the tube in front of his face, then pointed at his arm and stuck her hand in it. Vitus blinked and hesitantly lifted his ruined arm. Grey grinned widely and slipped the tube over his arm. The tube shrunk around him and he cried out as he felt bone grinding against bone. A moment later it felt like ice water was running through his arm and he finally felt the tensions start to leave his body. Pink looked like she was about to collapse.

 

_ “Oh thank the stars, if you hadn’t-” _

 

“ _ Don’t worry about it Pearl, not any harder than teaching a ruby to use a blaster.” _

 

“ _ Your cut?”  _ Pink asked. Grey's ever present smile faded.

 

“ _ 9ZQ _ . _ Though, if it’s all the same to you I would prefer that this interaction went unmentioned to our diamond.” _

 

_ “Yes, of course.” _ Vitus looked between them trying to make sense of...anything. He didn’t know how long he was going to be here. He had to make a start somewhere.

 

“Eh....  _ Pearl _ ?” Vitus chanced the word, hoping it was actually a name, not a rank or anything less than savory. Pink’s eyes went wide and she very slowly turned to look at him. He at least could recognize a sound of confusion when he heard one.

 

“ _...Stars you’re joking. That's what it took?” _ Pink said. Grey laughed.

 

“ _ Pearl? _ ” He repeated “Gods, tell me if I’m saying it wrong, please, or something.” Pink nodded, glanced briefly at Grey and pointed to herself.

 

“ _ Pearl _ .” She said. Then she pointed to him. “ _ Do you have an individual signifier?” _

 

_ “They have those?” _ Grey looked at him curiously.

 

_ “If I remember properly. _ ”

 

“Vitus.” He said smiling. Pink, no...  _ Pearl _ looked relieved and smiled for the first time since Vitus had first met her.

 

“Vitus.” She said, then slightly bowed towards him. “ _ Nice to meet you.” _


	5. Switched

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! been a while, I have had a great break, got settled into the new job and ....god I'm ready to get back to writing. So this was an... alternate ending to Seditionis. Actually this was what I was going to do originally, but it got thrown out for something that was more satisfying. Sorry if it's a little rusty, it's been awhile. Anyway, I plan to see you guys next monday with something else.. I'm not sure what. we'll see.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The battlefield was more than quiet. Domina’s actions, and the sight of not her, but White Diamonds gem, had frozen everything. Yellow Diamond had barely propped herself against the wall when Domina had barreled in.  Others were scattered around the room, in various stages of shock. Pink Pearl’s initial scream of horror had petered out. She was closest to the gem now and had pulled at Domina’s tattered coat as if in a trance. Steven was next to her, staring at what he had done in watery eyed shock. 

 

The door crashed open, and Yellow Diamond didn’t register much beyond the fact that gems entered and defused. She should say something, anything, there were gems looking to her, looking to Blue and Blue Pearl. The impossible had just happened and... Yellow Diamond didn’t know what to do. She stood, opening her mouth to speak and hoping that words would arrive when they were needed but was cut off by the sound of a gem reforming.

 

The white diamond rose from its place on the floor and everyone scrambled back as it shone and spun in the air. Blue Diamond practically ran back towards Yellow. The white light of a gem’s physical form began to expand, and it’s initial form was elegant, not unlike a pearls with it’s long flowing skirt and sharply constrained hair. The form quickly shifted into something Yellow was more familiar with, high peaks of hair and a cape with wide shoulders and a high collar. There was a brief flash as White Diamonds form solidified and her feet touched the ground as light as air.

 

The oppressive stillness of the room was broken by sharp tension as the air currents slowed  dramatically and White Diamond opened her eyes. Any words that Yellow may have been about to say died in her through. She looked up at White Diamond, as the gem  cast her gaze over the room. No one spoke or even moved as White Diamond glanced at each of them, her face completely blank, breaking once into a small disapproving frown when she spotted White Pearl, pale faced, one hand clinging to Garnet for support. Finally she turned to Yellow and Blue Diamond.

 

“What happened?” White Diamond asked simply. Her words weren’t particularly loud but they rang through the room as if she had shouted. Yellow saw felt the eyes of the room shift to her, because of course they did. It was always her, she was White’s right hand. The one white trusted with everything important, and the one who had been entrusted with Domina’s upbringing. 

 

“White, there... Domina, she.” Yellow knew what had happened, the sound of gem shards falling to the floor ran on repeat through her mind, but the words wouldn’t come out.

 

“Expired, yes I understand that Yellow, I’m not an ignorant clod.” White glanced down and gingerly nudged the pile of Domina’s clothes with her foot. “I asked, what happened?” White looked back up at Yellow, then panned her pale gaze over to Blue. “What could possibly have happened to the child that would have ended in me reforming!?” Yellow flinched and allowed Blue to take her hand. She looked at the other gems, she knew exactly how this should go next. 

 

She should place the blame on the obvious rebels, then get out of here while White cleaned up.

 

“Domina... tried to save me,” Steven spoke up, his voice was strained and still gooey from tears. “She tried to save all of us and she... I couldn’t....”

 

White stared down at Steven and by proximity Connie with a faint frown of disdain.

 

“Blue, what are these organics doing here?” White continued, eyes focused on Steven. Blue’s mouth opened and shut a few times, she looked at Yellow, eyes wild in terror. 

 

Good, she should be scared, this is all her fault. She was the one that had lashed out, gotten them stuck on earth, gotten Red shattered, and ultimately was the reason all of this was going to implode.

 

“Blue?” White repeated. The Crystal gems were moving towards Steven, the idiots. Her and Blue’s Pearl clung to each other tightly, bracing themselves for the ending of all of this. Maybe shattering if they were lucky.

 

Only Pink’s Pearl hadn’t moved, she was still crumpled on the floor, clutching Domina’s jacket. Would white even take her back now, a pearl having a third owner was unheard of and-.

 

“Blue!” White snapped pivoting on one foot to turn to face the two of them. The room in flinched and Pink’s pearl.... No just Pink, looked up, tensions flying to her face, emotions draining from her face. Steven stumbled to his feet. 

 

“It’s not her fault, we-” 

 

“Quiet, Human.” White said, holding a hand up, the air around the room went stiller, Steven’s breath caught and he had to sit back down.

 

“White Diamond leave him alone!” White Pearl stepped forward, holding her spear defensively. White Diamond didn’t even look at her, just raised a hand and the air around her compressed immediately, a more practiced version of what Domina had done before.  White Pearl’s gem dropped to the floor.

 

“White, they’re with me!”  Yellow said stepping forward this couldn’t happen. She couldn’t allow this to happen.  “All of them! Stop this now.” White turned an impassive glare back to her. And Yellow’s certainty faltered. “Please.” Yellow amended.

 

“White Diamond please.” Steven begged, glancing at pearls gem terrified. “Just calm down. We...we can explain, I can explain.”

 

“Human, I have no interest in what you have to say, please cease your chattering.” White Diamond said, still focused on Yellow Diamond.

 

“He-” Yellow began, Connie interrupted her.

 

“He’s not Human, he’s half gem, just like Domina w-” Yellow saw White’s shoulders tense and the air restricted again, forming a solid column around Connie.

 

“I said.” White Diamond said turning to face the humans again. “That I was not interested in your-” Yellow didn’t even remember moving. Blue still clung to her arm, and all she could feel around her was ozone and the crackled of electricity.

 

Steven caught Connie and held her as the human girl forced the now free air back into her lungs. 

 

The gem fell to the ground, once again inert. Someone bubbled it, and sent it away. Blue stood next to her and conversations went on around her. And around Pink. 

 

In the end nothing had changed. They still had work to do. And Homeworld still had to be rebuilt. Even if it only had one diamond to do that with.


	6. Vitus, on Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, its been a bit since there was a non-plot related short story, but I've been busy with Inter and working on the next fic. Somehow though I managed to write this unplanned short one shot. so here you are, it's un beta'd but hopefully the fact that it's vitus helps balance it out.

Vitus hadn’t expected he would ever have children. He did not relish the idea of being tied down, of being stuck to the same plot of land and town for his whole life like his father had been. Of course life rarely went the way one expected it to. And Domina was not your average child by any sense of the word.    
  
But she was close enough to child, and he still knew how to take care of one, which was probably the only reason he was still here among the stars instead of stuck in that... place. Here he could keep her as she grew, and as she did he couldn’t help but look for pieces of his family within her.   
  
In many ways she reminded him of his younger brother, Amulius. He was smart, had worked hard so that he could go to Athens to study natural philosophy. When he was four he would come back daily with pouches of interesting things he had found. Domina would often return from her excursions outside the base with enough rocks to supply a catapult but she had so many different names for each of them, and spoke of them like the peridots did.   
  
There were also hints of his mother, Marcella, in her laugh, his sister, Iulia, in the way she tried to keep up with everyone around her. And in her impulsiveness he saw his older brother, Martinus. All of it made him homesick. Talking helped, he did his best to to alleviate it by telling Domina stories of his childhood, stories of the gods and the great heroes of legend. That was the only time he saw the scraps of White that everyone in the fleet searched for within his daughter. Those intense eyes searching for deeper meanings as she absorbed every word he had to say. That furrowed brow of confusion when she was about to argue, yet again, that what Juno had done was unfair.    
  
Pearl was usually the one that could coax her into bed. She easily placated her with the promise that “Answers are easier to find when your mental faculties are completely functional.” And then she would hum softly to her, songs that Vitus still after so many years found so strange.   
  
He said a quiet prayer to Morpheus for peace within her dreams, as he always did. Then added a quick prayer to Hestia, to keep his family safe, all of it, where ever they were.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you want random musings about my writing of this fic/series then come find me on [ Tumblr ](https://domina-alba.tumblr.com/) also Vulgaris Adamas has a [Tv Tropes ](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/VulgarisAdamas) page now.  
> And I've joined the craze so now we have a [Discord ](https://discord.gg/Qz6cmCs%20)
> 
> Did you just click the kudos button and it gave you that stupid smiley face? If it did then feel free to just post 'kudos' in the Comments section! I'll get what you mean, and really appreciate it!


End file.
